Fruit gatherer



.Aug. 14, 1928., 1,680,925

C- W. WOOD FRUIT GATHERER Filed Dec. 2e, 1925 s Sheets-Sheet U A TTORNE YS i BY f/(Ma m I v ATTORNEYS Aug. 14, 1928.

C. W. WOOD FRUIT GATHERER Filed D60. 29, 1923 INVENTOR C. W. WOOD Filed D60. 29, 1923 fruit from the tree neehwic stitute :for hand expensive.

Patented Aug. 14, 1928.

unitreo sures.

PATENT OFFICE.

CECIL W. WOOD; F HEDGFBVILLEyWESTxVIBGINIA.

'EBUIT GA'IIHEMB.

Applieat w melamin am ss- Se ia im- 683,466-

This invention relates-to the artof gatherting fruit such for example was apples, -0lflng6 flI1 '1 h like, nd li s r i s obie .to :PGI'fOl-IIJ the operation of ,giathering the e 1y #8 a u picking which is slowand icisessentia i gather n r l o h n ment,;that the fruit shouldbehandled in such way a o a o d a y pos b ty f bruising the fruit, since a bruiseofjanykind results in premature decay.

:fruit while on the tree. :means is preferably in the fornu of a suitable hopper carried on a collapsible frame The present inventionconsists of neans for presenting ahopper in a position to receive the fruit as it is separated from the tree, and conducting it to a suitable receptaclesuch-as a barrel, which receiving means is of such a character that it nay be readily adjusted between crowded branches of a =:tree, raised ,or lowered to put it in close :proximity to the fruit to beseparated, and

shifted to the right or the left for the purpose of properly positioning it :under the Such fruit-rece ving whereby the same may-be readily inser between the branches, vand luniwersally mounted to the end that it may; beraised and lowered or adjusted in j a hor zo tal p ane.-

In the preferred-form, the hopper frame is mounted on a support,sueh as a mast, which support may he turned ground -31 Yertical 21Xlssrt0 adjustit horizontally." l lnrthermoue,

:the hopper time is so s ipon the mast :or other suitable that may be adjusted in a vertical plane and m also .be adjusted radially toward or from said mast or other support.

The fruit-separating means Operating in combination with this-hopper may be any means capable-of causing fruititoseparate from the tree, but preferably, and as here shown, it is in the term ni an air n blast, and

:preferably a whirling air blast, directed upon the innit asit {hangs {upon the tree. The novel :hOPPQI' rand 'inounting .may, how-ever, be used with other forms of -Sep arating means than those VShOWII lII the draw-- ings, since said hoppflHflHd-HiOanting have distinctive featuresjthiatare of value and ingrporta-nce regardless of the chanacteroff the fruit-separating *means employed, and, in

. fact, regardless of whether fnuit-se-parating means are combined-therewith or not.

file "fundamental ideas involved in the ini'ention n ay reoeivea variety of mechanical eapnessions, 011B .Q which, folthe purpose of illustrating the invention, .is shown in the accompanyingdrawings,but it is to be dist nctly understood thats ch drawings are for pnrposesnf illustration only and not for .defiiiing the limits of the invention, refer ence being had to the appended claiins for that purpose.

Insaid ,drawin s z? V Fig; 1 isa vert cal elevation of the apparat shere shown as nountefl UPOna truck and drivenfi'om the truck motor;

Fig-.2 is a detail view'illustrating the collapse oft-he,fituit receiving hopper in order .bed. ,Eecentrically mounted on the base plate; is a nastdhaving at itsupper sportlQIl a pulley t over which passes a line 5 having is unti en a s-di c r the-side bars 7., .7 con t ut ng a part o the framework -,supporting the hopper '8 of suitable fabric, as canvas. The other end of the 'linej5 issecured toa windlass'fi mounted in snitable'bearings 10,10 carriedby the base disk 1. 4

The mast ,3 is provided on its opposite sides i-wit h ,ahutinents or shoulders here showninthe formof pins 11 projecting out- Wardl therefrom, and the side bars '7 are pro-Ni. ed withahutmentsor shoulders shown as i hookrlike' attachments 1 2 which engage the pinsflllion the mast thereby holding the bars ,projecting outwardly ifronl the 'mast.

{The pins gLlv serve as axesfaround which the bars :7 .can turn andthe lengthof the bars eyondt e pins-canheadj s ed by means ioi ltheih qksl 2- Thee-W b 7, 7 0. aieeted together ati lieir Louter .ends by a crossbar-13, Fig. ,2, which bar ishinged to the side bars aasibyileather hingesflas will the thoroughly understood trom with inspeclion of Fig. 2. By advancing one of the bars 7 and withdrawing the other one as shown in full lines in Fig. 2, the two bars, by reason of the hinged connection, may be brought much closer together at the outer ends. The hopper 8 is attached to the crossbars 7 and the end bar 13, and at its inner edge is stretched across from one of the bars 7 to the other bar 7. By this means the bars may be broughtclose together at their outer ends and the hopper collapsed to facilitate insertion of the same between the branches of a tree. This hopper is provided with a restricted downwardly extending spout Li provided with means for interrupting the fall of the fruit through the spout, such means being here shown in the form of yielding restricting members 15, around the spout at suitable intervals. These restricting members 15 are preferably made of coiled wire springs (see Fig. 3) and are of such diameter as to engage and interrupt the fall of the fruit downwardly through the spout until suiiicient weight of fruit above the lowermost piece has accumulated to expand the restricting members 15, when the latter will open and permit the fruit to descend to the next restricting lilclllllill, which in turn is opened by the weight, and so on downward until the last member 15 is opened, when the fruit in the spout escapes into a suitable receptacle, as a barrel.

The windlass 9 may be operated by hand by means of a crank 16 (Fig. 4;), or, if desired, may be driven by power. As here shown, 17 is a flexible shaft, connected by suitable bevel gears 18, 18 to the Windlass. The flexible shaft 17 is secured to and forms an extension of a shaft 19, having a worm 20 thereon, which meshes with worm-gear 21 on a shaft 22. On the shaft 22 is any suitable clutch mechanism 23 whereby the shaft 22 may be thrown into or out of operation as desired. Shaft 22 is driven from any suitable motor, as, for example, a gasoline engine 24 (Fig. 5), or the motor of the motor truck as in Fig. 1, connection being made between the motor and the shaft through any suitable driving member, as sprocket chain 25. This same shaft 22 is also used as the driving shaft of an aircompressor 26, which may be of any suitable or ordinary construction, for delivering said blast of compressed air to a long flexible hose 2?, having on the end thereof any suitable nozzle for delivering a blast of air. As here shown (see Fig. 4), this is in the form of a nozzle 28 delivering a whirling blast. The nozzle 28 is secured to the end of a long light pole 29 by means of which the operator is enabled to direct a blast of air against the fruit as, for example, apples while the hopper 8 is supported thereunder.

Operati0n.-As will be readily understood. the mechanism may be mounted on any suitable platform and if, as here shown, the same is mounted on the bed of a truck or wagon, the same is driven along the side of a tree and, by turning the mast 3) around the vertical axis 2 0f the disk 1, the hopper is brought under the fruit to be gathered. The bars 7, 7 supporting the hopper S can be extended any desired distance by disengaging the hooks 12 from the pins 11 and pushing the bars outwardly or drawing them inwardly, as may be necessary, the elevation of the hopper being determined by two factors, to wit, the height of the particular pins 12 upon which the bars engage and by the adjustment of the line through the windlass 9. The pins ll constitute axes about which the bars 7, 7 turn as the line is lengthened or shortened through the windlass. It will therefore be seen that the hopper is universally i'nounted. being able to turn around the vertical axis 2 of the disk or bed-plate 1 and around the axes :IilOITlQtl by the pins 11; also that the height of the hopper can be adjusted so as to accommodate itself to the lower limbs of the tree as well as those higher up. in order to avoid a too great lateral movement of the bars 7, 7, together with the hopper 8, when ad justed to any given position, su h lateral movement is limited by side braces Ell). ill).

The hopper having been adjusted to the desired position, the operator removes the nozzle 28 from the bracket 31 carried by the mast 32 and holds itin position to deliver the blast to the fruit. A. strong direct blast would be sufficient in most cases to diseonnect the fruit from the tree, but as here shown a whirling blast is employed which gives a twisting action to the fruit. The fruit, being disconnected, falls by gravity into the hopper while the air blast serves to blow away the leaves that may have also been disconnected and thereby prevent their falling in any great number into the hopper.

The manipulation of the hopper, to turn it in a vertical plane around the axes constituted by the pins 11, 11, is effected through the Windlass f). This Windlass, as before stated, can be operated through the crank 16 by hand or preferably through the clutch-operating lever 33 which is of the usual or ordinary construction, whereby the hopper is raised, or lowered to the desired position. This having been acconiplished, the clutch is thrown out and the hopper remains in adjusted position by reason of the locking action effected between the worm 20 and the worm gear 21.

As the fruit falls into the hopper. the individual fruit. such for example as the first apple. descends to the lower delivery end of the hopper; in other words. to the upper end of the spout- 14-. The weight of an individual apple is insuilicient to open the yielding restricting members 1?) far enough ill) to permit the apples to pass through, but as weight accumulates above it, this weight operates to expand the yieldin member to permit the apple to pass the %rst yielding member, when it drops until it comes into contact with the second yielding member, and so on until it passes entirely through the spout. This accumulation of Weight only occurs after a considerable quantity of apples have gathered in the hopper and, before this has occurred, the hopper 8 is turned around the axis 2 and the delivery end of the spout placed Within a barrel, when the weight of the fruit therein serves to open all of the yielding members 15 and deliver the greater portion of the fruit into the barrel. This having been accomplished, the hopper is again returned to the proper position for gathering more fruit.

' It will be readily perceived by those skilled in the art that the invention may be embodied in a variety of forms differing in precise mechanical construction from that shown in the drawings. For example, other mountings might be employed for imparting the necessary movements to the hopper to bring it under the fruit, and means other than spray nozzles could be employed for separating the fruit from the tree, all of which is within the spirit of the present invention.

lVhat is claimed is 1. In a fruit gatherer, the combination of a turn-table mounted on a vertical axis, a mast mounted on said table, a collapsible hopper mounted to turn around a horizontal axis on said mast,a windlass on said turntable, and a line supported on said mast and connected at its opposite ends with the hopper and said Windlass.

2. In a fruit gatherer, the combination of a turn-table, a mast mounted on said table and having pairs of oppositely disposed a mast, a pair of bars fulcrumed on said mast in parallel relation and flexibly connected at their outer ends, a hopper supported between said bars, and means turning said bars in a vertical plane around their fulcrum.

4. In a fruit gatherer, the combination of a vertical mast, a plurality of pairs of fulcrums disposed at diiferent heights on said mast, a pair of bars in parallel relation and turning one on each member of one of said pairs of tulcrums, a hopper supported between said bars, and means moving said hopper in a vertical plane.

5. In a fruit gather-er, the combination of a vertical mast, a pair of parallel bars each independently fulcrumed on said mast,

means flexiblyconnecting the outer ends of said bars, a hopper supported between the bars, means whereby the lengths of the lever arms of said bars may be independently adjusted, and means moving said bars around their fulcrums. I

6. In a fruit gatherer, the combination of a mast, a pair of independently adjustable bars each :fulcrumed on said mast, a hopper supported by said bars between the same and means moving said hopper in a vertical plane.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification.

CECIL W. WOOD. 

